Angels on Our Shoulders
by lap1997
Summary: The year is 1945. The Neuroi have swarmed across the Rhine, surrounding Bastogne and cutting off the 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment. The only thing standing between the Fallschirmjagers and death are the witches of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. Can the Fallschirmjagers hold on, or will they be wiped out?
1. Chapter 1

Hey there everyone. I'm back, after a while of doing nothing. This is my first Strike Witches fanfic. I hope you enjoy. I do not own Strike Witches!

German translations:

_Fallschirmjagers/Paratrooper; Oberfeldwebel/Master Sergeant; Feldwebel/Sergeant; Engel der Nacht/Angel of the Night; Ja/Yes; Panzerschreck/Bazooka; Oberjager/Corporal; Jager/Private; Leutnant/Lieutenant; Herr/Sir; Panzergrenadier/Mechanized Infantry; Panzer/Tank_

* * *

**Saturday, December 23, 2243 hours, in the woods north of Bastogne:**

A pair of witches soared over head at tree top level. They were silhouetted by the moon, and the starlight shone off of their Striker Units. The witches continued straight for a while, then banked right, heading south, the sound of their magic engines waking a sleeping Karlsland _Feldwebel_.

"It's her" the man sitting next to him, an _Oberfeldwebel_, said. The two men sat in a foxhole in the Ardennes, the frozen ground continuously sucking the warmth from their bodies.

_Feldwebel_ Hans Stohr smiled. "By her, I assume you mean our _Engel der Nacht_" Stohr said, looking up and trying to spot said witch.

"_Ja_" _Oberfeldwebel_ Erich Horst, a tall man, about six foot three, with blonde hair and bright green eyes responded. He gave off a commanding presence, even while sitting down, and his size made him rather intimidating. The _Oberfeldwebel_ was twenty-eight, old in comparison to the band of replacements he was leading, who were no more than boys. Erich sat down, unbuckling his battered and dented M38 Fallschirmjager helmet. Placing it on the ground beside him, he shifted his K98 bayonet to the side to make himself more comfortable, and patting his ammo pouch with four clips to make sure it was safe. He pulled his tattered gray overcoat around him to try and ward off the cold. He checked his FG42 assault rifle, loaded with one twenty round clip. His Walther P38, safely in it's holster, knocked against his map case as he did so.

"And look at that, tonight she has a friend. Good for her" Hans said, looking back down and closing his eyes. Hans was shorter than his friend, standing at five foot eight, with black hair and blue eyes. Hans was talkative, friendly, and older than Erich by one year. He had studied at the University of Jena, and because of this had been nicknamed "Professor". He cradled an MP40 submachine gun with six thirty-two round clips sitting in his pouch next to him. The two men slipped into a comfortable silence, as the night carried on.

It had been one week since the Neuroi had swarmed over the Rhine and pushed into the Ardennes. Most of the 9th _Panzer_ Division had been decimated and forced to pull back, leaving behind the 10th _Panzergrenadier_ Regiment and what was left of the 102nd _Panzer_ Artillery Regiment to defend Bastogne. The 2nd _Fallschirmjager_ Division had been quickly placed into the gap to reinforce the line, but the damage had been done.

The Neuroi encircled Bastogne and the Karlsland soldiers, cutting them off. Since then, Erich and Hans had cheated death on a number of occasions.

The closest they had been to death had been last night. Erich had been on patrol with Hans and eight other men. They had been steadily making their way back to their positions when several Neuroi tanks ambushed them. Caught out in the open, Erich ordered his men to retreat, when a beam struck the ground a meter in front of him. The force of the blast knocked him off his feet, and he would have died, if not for Hans and _Oberjager_ Karsten Dornefeld dragging him to safety. Erich had lost seven men in that ambush, which meant that he only had twenty men left in a platoon that originally had forty-two.

"You should rest. I'll take watch for you" Hans said.

"I'll sleep later" Erich responded, keeping his eyes focused on the clearing that marked the line between the Neuroi and the _Fallschirmjagers_.

Hans shook his head, then said "At least let me take watch".

Erich looked at him, then nodded. "Fine. I think I'll go check on our young rabbits" he said, climbing out of the foxhole and stretching. Hans shifted himself so he could keep an eye on the clearing and the woods beyond. Erich began walking along the edge of the trees, taking long, leisurely strides, assault rifle slung over his shoulder, arms swinging freely. He stopped and looked up at the sky as he heard the sound of magical engines.

The two witches were flying over again, and the one the _Fallschirmjagers_ affectionately called "_Engel der Nacht_" spotted him. She had short gray hair, green eyes, and pale skin, as far as Erich could tell. On her right shoulder rested a large weapon, similar to a _panzerschreck_, and she wore a thick coat and a red scarf. From her head sprouted small black cat ears, and a black tail poked out from under her coat. Her strikers were black, with an Orussian star painted on the sides. He saw her smile, then wave at him with her free hand.

Her friend, a girl with long, almost white hair, violet eyes, and a black foxes ears and tail, waved at him as well. Erich smiled and waved back at the girls, then turned and walked towards _Oberjager_ Dornefeld and _Jager_ Klaus Eckolt's foxhole.

'They shouldn't be fighting in this war. They're just kids' Erich thought as he approached the two young men, who, at the moment, were talking about their lives before the war. 'Kids, just like these two, and every other soldier under my command. Just like the ones I couldn't save' he thought with regret.

Erich paused and scowled 'No! It was their time. And when it's my time, it won't matter how fast I run, it'll be my time' he thought. He had picked up that phrase from his father, and had used it ever since the war had started.

His father, Wilhelm Horst, had been a _Leutnant_ in the First Neuroi War. He had lost his left arm during the battle of Verdun, cut off by a flying chunk of an exploding tank. Erich knew that his father's words were true, yet he still felt guilty for the loss of his men.

Erich continued forward, the snow crunching under his boots, putting the thoughts of death to the back of his mind, as he came into earshot of the two young soldiers.

"And her father was absolutely furious. He said 'If I ever catch you even looking at my daughter again, I will hit you so hard, when you come to you're going to need a new haircut!'" Karsten said, while Klaus laughed uncontrollably.

"He… he said that?" Klaus asked, gasping for breath.

Karsten smiled widely, his amber eyes glinting with glee in the moonlight, and replied "_Ja_".

"So what did you do after that?" Klaus asked.

Karsten chuckled, "We both agreed to never try it again within a kilometer of her parents".

Klaus began laughing again, his bright blue eyes on the verge of tears.

Erich squatted down next to them and said, "Learn from his mistake Klaus. Never, and I mean never…"

"_Ja, ja_, I'll be sure to keep my sidearm holstered until I'm married, _Herr Oberfeldwebel_" Klaus interrupted Erich.

Erich smiled, and pushed the eighteen year olds helmet forward so it covered his eyes. "Good boy. Now, Karsten," Erich said, looking at the twenty-three year old, "start from the beginning. This sounds like a very interesting story".

* * *

This will be a multi chapter story. Not quite sure how long yet. Love it, hate it, leave a review. lap1997


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there people, I'm back. Wow, second chapter already. I'm as amazed as you are. This one is from Eila's pov. It's also a bit shorter than the last chapter. Anyways, enjoy. I do not own Strike Witches!

German Translation:_Bitte helft mir/Help me, please; Ich will nicht sterben/I don't want to die_

* * *

The two witches soared through the sky at tree top level, one humming a song, the other silently listening. Flying Officer Eila Illmatar Juutilainen turned to look at her partner, Flying Officer Sanya V. Litvyak, who had a faraway look in her emerald green eyes. Sanya's gray hair and black ears waved in the breeze, her tail swaying back and forth.

Eila just stared in awe at her beauty, before snapping herself out of it. 'Stop that!' she scolded herself, 'You're on a mission.' Eila switched her MG42 from her right hand to her left, then brought up her right arm and checked her watch.

'2247 hours. That means we have three minutes until the operation starts' she thought, looking up at the stars. Operation Round hammer was the plan to free the trapped Karlsland troops on the ground.

The 2nd _Panzer_ Division, along with elements of the 1st _Panzer_ Division, were going to attack from the west, and push the Neuroi back to the Rhine. The 501st's job was to provide support for the soldiers. Eila and Sanya had been given the task of protecting the surrounded 6th _Fallschirmjager_ Regiment, as the Neuroi would likely launch an attack once they realize what was going on.

"Did he look sad to you?" Sanya asked suddenly, catching Eila off guard.

"Huh? Who?" Eila asked, shifting her MG42 back to her right hand.

"The soldier we waved at, remember" Sanya replied, looking into Eila's violet eyes.

"Oh, right him" Eila said, remembering the tall soldier, thinking about it. They had spotted the soldier while he stood next to a tree on the edge of the clearing. She tried to remember his eyes. They had seemed kind of sad, the smile on his face not quite reaching them.

She nodded, "Now that you mention it, yeah, he did". Sanya looked away, staring at the trees rushing by beneath them.

"I've seen him before, but this was the first time I've seen his face" she said flying lower, just skimming the trees.

"Does this have anything to do with last night?" Eila asked, her voice filled with concern.

Sanya nodded, and said "He was there" and Eila began to understand.

Last night, Sanya had heard a skirmish taking place not far from their current position. Sanya had flown as fast as she could, but when she got there, it was already over. She had spotted three retreating forms, but had continued to where she had heard the fighting take place.

Seven soldiers had been on the ground in a small clearing. Six of them were dead, but one was still alive, desperately trying to crawl back to the woods. When he heard Sanya flying overhead, he had rolled over onto his back, his stomach a bloody mess.

He had begun to reach out with one hand, calling to her saying "_Bitte helft mir_". So Sanya had gone against regulations and flown down to hover in the clearing next to the soldier.

As she got closer, she could see that he was very young, only a few years older than herself. He was crying, his sobs wrenching at her heart. She had landed, and sat with the young man, holding his hand and stroking his hair, as he repeated over and over "_Ich will nicht sterben, ich will nicht sterben"_.

After a few minutes, he stopped crying.

She had left him lying there, his dark red blood a sharp contrast with the bright white snow, and flew back to base, trying to hold back her own desperate sobs that threatened to burst forth.

When she had stumbled into her and Eila's room, she had collapsed on the bed and dissolved into tears. Eila comforted her until she fell asleep. In war, people die, and everyone in the 501st knew that. But at the same time, Eila knew that Sanya had never actually witnessed someone die.

"Sanya, I told you, that wasn't your fault" Eila said, placing a hand on Sanya's shoulder and gently squeezing.

Sanya didn't say anything, she just nodded her head. Eila rubbed her back for a minute, then checked her watch again.

"Come on, it's time to start" Eila said.

"Okay" Sanya replied quietly, before they both turned around and headed back the way they came, holding hands the whole way.

* * *

Love it, hate it, leave a review. lap1997


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone! I'm sorry about taking down the original third and fourth chapters, but I found that the story was going in a direction that I didn't want it to take. So I completely rewrote them and can honestly say I'm kind of satisfied. Please enjoy! I also do not own Strike Witches in any way shape or form!

German Translations:_panzefaust/tankfist(a small, disposable antitank weapon)_

* * *

Erich walked towards his foxhole after listening to Karsten's story with a small smile on his face. Karsten's story had been just what he had needed to lift his mood.

Snow had begun to fall, the white flakes twirling gracefully to the ground, and Erich knew that it was going to be a cold night.

As he neared the foxhole, he heard a very faint and very familiar rumble. It was low, and most likely very far away, but there was no mistaking the sound of Karlsland tanks.

Hans stood up and asked "Erich, is that what I think it is?"

Erich just nodded, a sense of relief flooding him.

"Tanks" he said under his breath, and Hans clambered out of the foxhole with a huge smile on his face.

"I guess this means that we'll be relieved soon. Shame, I was beginning to like these woods" Hans said jokingly.

Erich smiled at his friend's humor.

'We did it', he thought, as he heard shouts of joy up and down the line.

Then, the sound of the tanks was replaced by the droning of Neuroi fighters. Erich stomached clenched in fear as he looked up and saw them, a very large formation of the small types that looked like bricks with wings. They began diving at them and firing, their red beams lancing out through the night.

Erich yelled "Everyone, down!" as he tackled Hans into their foxhole. Erich rolled off of Hans and tried to make himself as small as possible. The ground shook from the bombardment, and somewhere down the line Erich heard men screaming. Trees disintegrated around them, and dirt and snow flew through the air.

The barrage lasted for a few minutes, until the familiar sound of an MG42 met Erich's ears. He looked up and saw the witch from earlier, gun chattering as she zipped in and out of the swarm of Neuroi fighters. Then the sound of a bazooka being fired was heard, and several rockets streaked forward and hit some of the fighters.

"Our angels are here!" Hans shouted, looking up and pointing as the two girls attacked the Neuroi, stopping the deadly barrage.

"_Fallschirmjagers_, sound off!" Erich called.

"Eckolt, here!"

"Dornefeld, here!"

"Bauer, still alive".

Thirteen more men called out. _Jagers_ Becker and Merckel did not respond. Erich looked at their foxhole, about five meters to his left. All that remained was a smoking crater and bits of clothing. He looked farther down the line, towards 1st platoon, and saw that their mortar emplacement had been torn to pieces, the bodies of the mortar team littering the ground.

Above, the two witches kept whittling away at the Neuroi fighters, until there were only a handful left. A shrill screech was heard from across the clearing, filling Erich with a sense of dread. He turned and saw at least a dozen Neuroi tanks clanking out of the forest towards them.

"_Fallschirmjagers_, to the trench line!" Erich shouted, leaping out of the foxhole and running across the snow covered ground towards the trench at the edge of the tree line. Erich had ordered his men to dig the trench when they had been encircled, as it was an easily defendable position. When Erich said he wanted the trench to be shoulder height, Hans had asked jokingly "My shoulders or yours".

But Erich knew, no matter how much his men had complained, that the trench line would save lives. He dropped into the trench, with Hans right behind him. The rest of his men quickly followed, and began taking up their positions, preparing to defend the woods that had been their home for the past week.

"_Jager_ Bauer, how many rounds do you have left?" Erich asked as he approached the young soldier, who was hurriedly setting up the platoons only MG42.

"Three hundred, _Herr Oberfeldwebel_" Bauer replied.

"Fire in short bursts, just like _Feldwebel_ Stohr has taught you" Erich said, as he moved farther down the line, looking for Karsten.

The Neuroi tanks began firing, forcing Erich to crouch down. He kept going, the red beams passing harmlessly over his head.

"_Oberjager_ Dornefeld!" Erich yelled over the sounds of the two sides trading fire. Karsten was firing his FG42 automatic rifle, switching between two Neuroi tanks as they advanced.

"_Ja_, _Oberfeldwebel_" he said, keeping his rifle trained on the Neuroi.

"Where are the _panzerfausts_?" Erich asked, dirt raining down as the Neuroi scored a close hit on the trench. Karsten pointed at the four remaining _panzerfausts_ on the ground next to him.

"Good, keep them safe until we need them" Erich shouted, before he headed back towards Bauer.

"_Jawohl_, _Herr Oberfeldwebel_!" Karsten called.

Bauer was frantically raking his fire back and forth, not doing a lot of damage to the advancing Neuroi.

"Bauer, focus you fire! One at a time!" Erich yelled, and Bauer nervously nodded his head, but continued swivel the gun from side to side.

"Professor! Come over here and direct Bauer's fire!" Erich shouted to Hans, before turning and emptying a magazine into the closest Neuroi, whose hard black shell chipped away until the core was revealed. Erich aimed at the pink glowing crystal and squeezed the trigger.

The rifle clicked and Erich cursed under his breath as he crouched down to reload. He checked his ammo pouch and found three magazines left, so he switched his rifle from automatic to semi-automatic to save his dwindling supply of bullets.

Overhead, more Neuroi fighters approached to engage the two witches protecting the _Fallschirmjagers_.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed it! If you did, tell me in a review. If you didn't, tell me why. Anyways, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

A double post. Yeah, I wouldn't get used to it. Please enjoy. I do not own Strike Witches.

German Translations:_scheisse/shit_

* * *

Erich popped up and squeezed off a few shots at the advancing Neuroi, sending bits of it's black armor flying. The Neuroi screeched and turned it's attention to him, letting loose with a bright red beam that lit up the night. Erich ducked and felt the heat of the shot as it passed overhead. He stayed crouched and moved down the trench line, shouting encouragement to his men.

"That's it! Give it to'em, pour it on, c'mon!" he yelled, letting off several shots of his own. The Neuroi steadily came forward, barely flinching at the waves of bullets. Only a few tanks had fallen, and more were still coming, charging across the snow covered field.

"Incoming!" someone shouted, and Erich threw himself down and hugged the snow. Two Neuroi fighters had broken off from engaging the witches and were diving towards the Fallschirmjagers.

They fired, pounding 3rd platoon's position mercilessly. Bloodcurdling screams echoed through the forest, pounding Erich's ears. He looked up when the two fighters completed their pass.

"Oh _scheisse_, there goes our right flank!" he exclaimed. 3rd platoon was gone, the bodies of his fellow soldiers lying scattered and broken in the snow. Without 3rd platoon, 2nd platoon's flank was exposed, and the Neuroi would charge right through with little resistance.

'Well, I'm not about to let that happen' Erich resolved, moving down the trench towards Karsten.

"Weber, Eckolt, on me!" he yelled when he got close to Karsten. Erich slung his rifle over his shoulder, stooped down next to Karsten, and grabbed one of the four _panzerfausts_.

_Jagers_ Weber and Eckolt arrived, and Erich said to the three men, "Grab a_ panzerfaust_ and follow me".

Erich leapt out of the trench and sprinted to where 3rd platoon had been, his long strides carrying him farther and faster than the other three, who were scrambling to catch up.

He came to a large crater that used to be a foxhole and leapt in. He landed next the charred remains of some unfortunate soul, and reeled back in disgust. He quickly rolled the body to the other side of the crater, just as Dornefeld, Weber and Eckolt arrived.

"We need to hold this flank, otherwise, the Neuroi will roll through here and straight on to Bastogne" Erich explained to his men.

"Dornefeld, get over by those trees on the right; Weber, take that crater on the left; Eckolt, your with me. We'll hit the first Neuroi to try and come through here, then you two, fallback to me and Klaus" he told them.

Dornefeld and Weber ran off to their assigned positions, while Erich and Klaus prepared their _panzerfausts_.

"You know how to use that thing?" Erich asked Klaus, who was frantically reading the instructions on the side of the warhead.

"Oh, _ja Oberfeldwebel_. I mean, I think so" Klaus replied with a nervous smile. Erich looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"The instructions are printed on the side, how hard can it be?" Klaus said defensively, looking away from Erich.

Erich just shook his head and prepared his own _panzerfaust_. Erich cocked the small arming rod on top of the barrel, turned the safety switch to the left, and waited. The panzerfausts was a desperate weapon, and only the very skilled or the very lucky could hit a moving target. The_ panzerfaust's_ effective range was ten to thirty meters, which meant that they would have to wait for the enemy tanks to be almost on top of them.

They did not have to wait long. Four Neuroi tanks clanked towards them, just on the edge of the _panzerfaust's_ range. Klaus began to breathe quickly, and Erich could feel him shaking.

"Steady" Erich said softly, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. The Neuroi kept coming, clanking into the forest, traversing their cannons left and right looking for any sign of prey.

"Wait" Erich said, slowly shouldering his _panzerfaust,_ its cold barrel pressing against the side of his neck. The Neuroi spread out, and continued forward, stepping over the broken bodies and smoking holes.

"Now!" Erich shouted, getting up on one knee and aiming at the center tank. He squeezed down on the trigger, and watched as the warhead sailed out of the tube towards the tank. The Neuroi disintegrated with an odd clanging sound, which was followed by two more identical sounds as Weber and Dornefeld's rockets hit their mark.

Erich quickly dropped the smoking tube and crouched back down, just as Klaus stood up and fired his _panzerfaust_. It flew off course and hit the ground in front of it's intended target, throwing dirt and snow into the air.

'Three out of four. That's not bad' Erich thought as Klaus dropped back into the crater.

"I'm sorry _Oberfeldwebel_" Klaus said as Dornefeld scrambled into the crater next to them.

"Don't be sorry Klaus. Just shoot" Erich replied, quickly following his own advice as he peppered the remaining tank, trying to make every shot count. Klaus leveled his MP40 and let off a long burst, while Karsten chugged away with his FG42.

The tank ignored them though, and kept it's attention to their left, where Weber had emerged from his crater, and was quickly trying to get to the other's.

"C'mon Weber! Get in here!" Karsten shouted, as he, Klaus, and Erich laid down covering fire. The tank fired several beams at Weber, while the young soldier sprinted as hard as he could towards the relative safety of the crater.

The first few beams missed high, and the next few fell short, throwing geysers of dirt and snow into the air.

The Neuroi fired again, the shot landing a meter in front of Weber, sending him flying backwards into a tree. He cracked his head against the trunk, and slumped forward, his FG42 slipping from his grasp.

The three Fallschirmjagers stared at Weber's still form, willing him to pick himself back up, but were brought back to the present when the Neuroi began targeting them.

"He's still alive!" Klaus shouted over the explosions, which were steadily getting closer to hitting their mark.

"We don't know that!" Karsten countered.

"We got to go get him!" Klaus replied, looking at Erich. Erich looked at Klaus, then back at Weber. He could just make out the slight rise and fall of Weber's chest, and Erich made up his mind.

"Cover me!" he shouted, standing up and leaping out of the crater. He sprinted towards Weber, ignoring Karsten's shouts of "_Oberfeldwebel_, get back here!".

Erich didn't have to look back to know that the Neuroi was focusing on him now. He could feel the near misses and hear the Neuroi's frustrated screeches as it continued to miss him.

When he was a few meters from Weber, a beam struck the ground in front of him, the bright red flash blinding him, and he was blown off of his feet. He flew backwards several meters, and landed on his back with a grunt, his vision going black.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey there people. It's been awhile. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Sorry if I don't seem uber excited, but I've been slogging through the college application process. It's kinda stressful. Anyways, I'm sure you guys don't really care, so please, read on.-lap1997

Disclaimer: I do not own Strike Witches.

* * *

Eila watched as the last Neuroi fighter fell to her gun, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"That's the last of the fighters" she told Sanya, turning to look at the small Orussian floating next to her. Her smirk fell from her face when she saw Sanya's expression. Her eyes were unfocused, and her head was cocked to one side. She seemed to be listening to the radio intently, and had not heard Eila at all.

"Hey, Sanya", Eila said, waving her hand in front of Sanya's face.

"What's going on?" Eila asked, finally getting Sanya's attention.

"They're… the men on the ground, they're being overrun" Sanya said quietly.

"What!?" Eila shouted, her eyes going wide.

"They can't hold back the Neuroi… Eila, they're dying" Sanya choked out, tears welling in her green eyes.

"Where?" Eila asked, but Sanya just stared past Eila, not hearing her.

"He won't stop yelling" Sanya said quietly as the voice of the radio operator screamed for help in her ear.

"Sanya!" Eila yelled, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and locking eyes with her, "Where?" she said sternly. Sanya pointed a finger towards the clearing they had flown over earlier, and Eila could see Neuroi tanks walking in through a hole in the right of the line. She released Sanya and took off, wishing that she had Shirley's speed.

She felt guilty for yelling at Sanya, and Eila looked over shoulder at the girl. Sanya had wiped the tears from her eyes, but Eila could tell she was still struggling with more.

"Sanya" Eila called, and the young Orussian looked up at her.

"Sorry" was all Eila said, before turning back to the battle. They arrived above the woods, and a grizzly sight met Eila's eyes. The forest had been blasted apart by the Neuroi, and the carnage was horrifying. Broken bodies and smoldering equipment lay strewn across the ground, the white snow painted bright red. A Neuroi tank was steadily advancing on two soldiers, who were desperately trying to stop it.

Eila leveled her MG42 and held down the trigger, spraying the tank with hot lead. The Neuroi squealed in surprise, and tried to turn and face it's tormentor.

But before it could, the sound of two rockets being fired came from behind Eila, and she watched as the rockets slammed into the alien, turning it to dust in an instant. Eila looked behind her and saw Sanya holding her smoking Fliegerhammer with both hands.

Eila heard shouting from below and looked to see the two soldiers running towards a wounded soldier a few feet from their position. The taller of the two knelt down, unwrapped a scarf from around his neck, and pressed it to the wounded soldier's bloody stomach. Eila flew back to Sanya, the cold wind whistling in her ears.

"Good shot" she said, but Sanya didn't reply. She was staring intently at the wounded man, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Sanya?" Eila asked, placing her hand on the young girls shoulder.

"It's him" she said, and Eila instantly knew who she was talking about. The wounded man was now attempting to get up with his friends help, leaving a red stain in the pure white snow. Eila looked back at Sanya to see tears streaming down her pale face. Eila squeezed her shoulder attempting to comfort the girl. Sanya looked at her with sorrowful green eyes. Eila's heart broke, and she quickly pulled the small girls into her arms, feeling her shaking violently, all of her emotions from what transpired the night before coming to the surface. They stayed like that for a few moments, before Sanya pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry" she said, her eyes downcast.

"Don't be" Eila said, grasping Sanya's hand and pulling her up and away from the bloody sight below. The two flew higher, surveying the rest of the battle.

"How many rockets do you have left?" Eila asked.

"None, I'm out" Sanya replied. Eila sighed, "Well, we can't leave for base, not until those tanks arrive. Just stay close to me, okay?" Sanya nodded, gripping Eila's hand tighter.

* * *

'It's happening again' Erich thought as Karsten and Klaus helped him back to the trench. Just like the patrol from the night before, he had lost a man and was being dragged away from the site of his failure. Sure their were differences; he'd only lost one man and was more injured than before, but it was the same.

He'd failed. Know the right flank would collapse and even more of his men would die.

"Come on _Oberfeldwebel_, almost there" Karsten said as Erich's legs began to drag.

"It's happening again" Erich said quietly to himself, staring at the snow covered ground.

"What did you say?" Klaus asked as he shifted Erich's weight on his shoulders a bit, causing Erich to wince in pain.

"I said be careful" Erich said through gritted teeth and Klaus smiled sheepishly.

"Come on, almost there" Karsten said again, and Erich nodded his head, "_Ja._ Almost there".

* * *

Love it, hate it, let me know.-lap1997


End file.
